Baked Goat Cheese Caprese Salad

"This is one of the most amazing and easy cheese appetizers ever. It's got that texture that people love about goat cheese. Basil and tomato have a proven track record of being incredibly delicious with creamy cheeses, and this is no exception."

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil into the bottom of each 6-ounce ramekin and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon basil per ramekin over the oil. Place 1 goat cheese piece over the basil in each ramekin; surround with sliced cherry tomatoes. Top with cracked black pepper and cayenne. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining basil on top of each portion, place ramekins on a baking sheet, and drizzle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons more olive oil.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Footnotes

Loved it. I did make a change to it the second time I made it. Instead of drizzling the oil over the tomatoes--I put the cut tomatoes in a small bowl and mixed the oil in with the tomatoes then placed them around the goat cheese and baked. I found that the oil was more evenly distributed.

Love this recipe! Although, I did add minced garlic and salt. Even made it once with rosemary olive oil and various colored cherry tomatoes - delish! For 8 - 10 appetizer servings I doubled recipe, baked in one dish and successfully used anywhere from 8 to 10 oz. goat cheese. - served with garlic pita chips. Using individual ramekins with crostini would make for a very elegant first course for the holidays. Thanks Chef John!

It was a hit! I used one of the really big logs of cheese (16 oz) because I was going to a large party. Using my small (1-1/2 C) and medium (3 C) vintage Pyrex refrigerator dishes, I put 1/3 of the log in the small one and 2/3 in the large one. Had to bake the large one 7 minutes longer. Served with Pita Chips and Multi-grain chips. Lovely!

This was amazing!!! My Husband loved it! My kids came out to visit and I made it for them, they couldn't get enough of it.
Chef John you are the best!!! Any time I see a recipe from you I add it to my recipe box because I know it's gonna be good!

I made this appie and it was to die for delicious..I used a larger piece of goat cheese and put it in a Brie cheese container, stuffed lots of cherry tomatoes around..there was not a speck leftover. I used garlic flavoured olive oil, for sure this recipe is a winner... Don't forget to use the fresh basil.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.